‘Food Game’ halted until food stamp crisis averted

Life seemed to coming up roses. At 10:30 am, I spoke over the phone with a very nice and friendly Giant Customer Service Representative, Dee who told me she would aid me in my quest to trace the carbon footprint of foods that I purchased. All I had to do was supply Dee with the barcodes on these foods. Then she would trace their points of origin, their package and processing points, and I would be well on my way to successfully maneuvering through “Food Game.”

But it was in the checkout line of Giant at 12:15 p.m. where fate spun in an entirely different direction. Apparently, the Commonwealth of Virginia decided to launch their own version of “Food Game” by screwing the bejesus out of low income earners, like myself. Without any emails, phone calls or notifications whatsoever from Arlington’s Department of Human Services, I discovered my food stamp benefits were slashed when I tried to checkout. I found out later that day from DHS that instead of the $200 I usually receive at the start of each month, I now only qualify for $18.

The reason being, I didn’t initially report my AmeriCorps stipend as income. And, under a statute, that a caseworker other my own, Mr. Marcom, sited, AmeriCorps stipends should be reported as income. With that income correctly reported, he told me that I only qualify for $18 each month. “Fair,” you say. “You didn’t report your income accurately and you shouldn’t get food stamps.” Yet fulltime AmeriCorps volunteers last year received the full benefit. Also, to make things suckier and weirder, my heart goes out to my fellow AmeriCorps member, who I will not name for anonymity’s sake, who’s benefit was slashed from $200 to $33 this month. (A different, AmeriCorps member still gets a benefit of $200, so I’m going to have to learn his game and do that. We are all about as equally poor, and we all make the exact same stipend, so it is interesting that we qualify for $200, $18 and $33.)

Anyway, food stamp complaining aside, I was extremely eager to start Food Game today. I noticed how my mindset started to change within the grocery store, in response to my new imposed restrictions. Today, walking down the aisles of Giant, I found myself shopping for only one input items: bananas, peas, black beans, whole grain rice, mushrooms, honey, apples, so that I could more easily trace their origins - because foods that have multiple inputs, often have multiple origins. And I found myself searching for items that were only distributed by Foodhold U.S.A. , LLC of Landover Maryland (the Giant brand distributer), so that Dee could inform me to where these products hailed from.

Peas, oats and salt are three of a myriad of products that work their way through the Foodhold U.S.A. LLC distribution site in Landover, Maryland. Foodhold is the distributor for the Giant brand.



I’m sorry to conclude that I must put “Food Game” on halt, until I get to the bottom of this food stamps issue. I must say of our motherland, first she supplies tear gas to the Tunisian loyal police, then she supports the evils in Egypt, and now she strips her AmeriCorps compatriots of their necessary means of sustenance. (Okay a little dramatic about the food stamps, but definitely pissed about our pathetic diplomacy, and irked that I can’t start “Food Game”)

Hmmpfff, yar, geez

Power Up: My very caring and beautiful girlfriend took me into her home tonight and fed me organic chicken to cheer me up. She also supplied me with a local sweet potato, turnip and buffalo jerky. When reality bites, there is nothing more glorious than having someone to punch it’s teeth out.

Money at stake for ‘Food Game’ - Blog followers may earn dividends

On Feb. 1, I will begin “Food Game.” An epic challenge aimed at determining the distance my food travels before I consume it. Join me in my endeavors to cut back on the miles food travels, from coast to kitchen, to earn a supreme prize. Or simply earn dividends from my blunders...

Rationale: Greenhouse gases are emitted when food is grown, packaged, and transported. If we can lessen the distance food travels to get to our plates, we can make this earth more hospitable.

Rules: Pick 20. I am going to pick 20 days, in February, where I have to account for the distance travelled of all the food I have consumed. Which means I will have eight days that will go unaccounted for, (freebie days) so I can still eat out and not completely destroy my social wellbeing.

If I am unable to find out where a food comes from, for example if the food is not labeled or the identifying information is not known, I have to successfully research and determine its origins, otherwise I will owe money to all of my blog followers.

Dividends for blog followers: I will pay out 50 cents to my blog followers for every food item that I cannot determine its place of origin.

CHALLENGE WITH PRIZE: I am willing to offer any challengers who are ready to vie for the battle of a lifetime, the SUPREME PRIZE, if their overall food consumption in February requires less total miles travelled than that of mine. The prize will be $3.33 and a “Mr. Brewski says ‘Beer is Good’” t-shirt (men’s small). If you are interested in some healthy competition email stevenabert@gmail.com before Feb. 1.

The Supreme Prize, is the most coveted of all blog give-aways. Planet Wisely followers have begun salivating at the prospect of bringing home the bacon, so to speak.

'Food Game' to begin in quest for perfect information

Perfect information is glory. Take my Giant checkout line experience, today, for example: because of crafty collaboration between the public and private sectors, I learned precisely upon my grocery receipt’s arrival that I have $44.12 left in food stamp benefits. With this info at my fingertips, I can now plan like a rational consumer how I should budget my remaining benefits until my $200 reload comes Feb. 1.

Now, if I had even quasi-perfect information regarding how my food purchasing habits affected climate change, I would dance with a hobo to a mandolin at firelight. The problem is, I don’t know of any grocery stores in south Arlington, or the United States for that matter, that provide information about the greenhouse gases emitted from growing, packaging, and transporting the food I consume. Hell, it’s a small victory when I’m able to find where the food I consume even comes from.

When it comes to produce,

Giant is a source of perpetual wonder.

Giant confidently labels this variety

of plum tomatoes as a product of

USA and a product of Mexico.

Due to my vast lack of knowledge regarding how my diet and climate change relate to one another, I’m going to start “Food Game” February 1. ¡Get excited! In a nutshell, I’m going to record the distance that the food I consume travels, from its point of origin to the grocery store in which I buy it. This game will require me using mucho estimation, because I most likely won’t be privy to information about the direct route of my food items. Basically, the purpose of this game will be for me to trim down the total travel distance of my food items.

Side note: Food Game is a work in progress. Stay tuned for the entire set of “Food Game” Rules and Regulations.

Power Up: The U.K.is in the process of equipping its consumers with information regarding how their food consumption directly affects climate change. Check it out